Ice sculptures have long been renown for their esthetic appearance, due primarily to the smoothly flowing surfaces of the ice and to the clarity of the light transmitted therethrough. Ice sculptures have often been used as festive decorations for banquets, celebrations, and festive occasions.
In the past, ice sculptures have been fabricated from large blocks of ice, using special tools to chip, form, and smooth the ice. In this process, a great deal of the mass of ice in the original block is lost and wasted. Moreover, the labor involved in forming the ice sculpture has resulted in generally high cost associated with purchasing an ice sculpture. Thus ice sculptures have been available only to those few individuals having sufficient wealth to purchase them.